"The labour market in Germany is predominated by the full-time standard employment relationship. Nevertheless, since the reunification at the latest we observe a continuous increase in part-time employment. On the basis of the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) from 1991 to 2006, we investigate...

Social insurance such as unemployment insurance is in many countries mandatory for the majority of workers. The extent of such insurance is determined by a political process, i.e. ultimately by the workers themselves. If unemployment were purely accidental then all risk averse workers should...